Why Henna is the Best Hair dye for Sensitive Scalps

If you have a sensitive scalp, you might think it’s not a good idea to dye your hair, in case it gets worse.

So, you may be surprised to hear that not only can you enjoy colouring your hair, but if you use a good herbal hair dye, such as our It's Pure Hair Colours, it can soothe and settle your scalp.

What Counts as a Sensitive Scalp?

A sensitive scalp is one that is highly reactive and easily becomes out of balance.  You may experience:

• Itching
• Dandruff
• Sore patches
• Loss of hair
• Swelling
• Scabbing
• Allergies
• Rapid greasiness
• Flaking

Any of these symptoms could suggest that you might need to avoid synthetic colourants which are often highly irritating.

Why Avoid Synthetic Dye?

Synthetic dyes that have a red, or darker colour often include a substance called PPD (Paraphenylenediamine).  This is highly allergenic and is actually banned in some countries, due to the high incidence of severe reactions.

You’ll know if you’re reactive, as your scalp may start to hurt a few hours after dying your hair (even in a salon) and you may develop patches of contact dermatitis, around the eyes or inner rim of the ears.

If you have this reaction, it is likely to worsen over time and you are best to avoid colourants with PPD at all costs.

Bleaches and lightening agents, fragrances and some preservatives in hair dye can also lead to burning and soreness in the scalp, and potentially hair damage.

Why Is Henna Better for a Sensitive Scalp?

Henna (Lawsonia inermis) is a plant-based dye that has been used safely for thousands of years.

There are lots of reasons why pure, organic Henna is good for a reactive scalp, not least because it is naturally rich in soothing nutrients:

1. It’s rich in Vitamin E, which also helps to add shine;
2. It’s particularly complementary with the hair's own Keratin; the material that builds the bonds between the hair molecules keeping it strong and preventing breakages;
3. It has natural antifungal properties.  These protect against dandruff and psoriasis, caused by an overproduction of a natural skin yeast called Malassezia. Henna helps reduce the bacteria, reducing the flaking and itching considerably.
   
   
   

Henna can be used regularly; many users like to use it every couple of weeks or add a treatment like Cassia into their treatment routine, which allows you to treat your hair, leaving it looking far thicker and fuller, without harmful chemicals or further irritation to the scalp.

Over time, as your scalp improves, you will be likely to itch less and feel less inclined to touch or scratch it, which improves the swelling, scabbing and issues.

Doesn't Henna Restrict My Colour Choices?

Henna isn't just for redheads. Henna can also be blended with other non-irritant herbs like indigo, turmeric and cassia to give a range of shades from blonde to very dark brown.

The only restrictions are that:

1. You can only go your natural hair colour or darker. Henna-based colours cannot lighten your hair.
2. The final colour depends slightly on the porosity of your hair and your underlying colour. Herbal or henna-based dyes will give a colour unique to you. However, you can always test a hidden strand of hair before colouring all your hair, to make sure you're happy with the colour. 
   
   

Why It’s Pure Henna is Safer:

It's Pure herbal colours use completely organic, natural Henna, and other 100% natural herbs. The dyes are literally just the 100% organic herbs - there is no PPD, peroxide, ammonia, resorcinol or any artificial chemicals.

The herbs are grown on fair trade and organic certified farms in India, then processed into powders using advanced technologies to deliver incredibly pure, high-quality extracts, free from contaminants. We blend them here in the UK in our certified organic eco-factory.

You could still be allergic to herbal hair dye, in the same way some people are allergic to nuts, so its critical that you do a full patch test before applying to your scalp.  If you have any signs of itching or burning, you should not apply the dye.

Find out more about how to colour your hair with herbal dye here.

Shop the full It's Pure range of 9 beautiful colours here > 

Or use our colour tool to find your colour.